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Welcome to the official web site of Clan Lindsay
Association USA, Inc.
Clan Lindsay Association USA, Inc. is a nonprofit,
purely voluntary association that exists solely for the benefits
of its members, their descendants, and other people of Scottish
descent. The purpose of the organization is to:
- Dispense charitable and educational assistance to those of Scottish
descent
- Perpetuate Scottish tradition, customs, and culture in the United
States
- Promote the social contacts of its members
- Promote the genealogical process among its membership and offer
assistance where possible
The Founders
Our founders are Mr. and Mrs. William S. Lindsay and Dr. and Mrs.
James Pressly of Greenville, South Carolina. Clan Lindsay received
its Certificate of Incorporation from the State of South Carolina
on February 1, 1974. For a complete history of Clan Lindsay, visit
our History pages.
The Clan Crest
Our clan crest is shown in the upper left corner of this page.
According to history, each Clan Chief wore a unique badge on his
helmet during battle so that his followers could recognize their
leader. This badge is referred to as the Crest of the Chief and
appears at the top of his Coat of Arms. Anyone bearing the same
name as a Scottish Chief or the name of a sept associated with that
clan, is a Clansman of the Chief and has the privilege of wearing
the Crest surrounded by a strap and buckle garter, which indicates
an individual's allegiance to the Chief.
The Lindsay clan crest consists of a swan, indicating the Earls
of Crawford descended (in the female line) from the Swan Knight,
a descent highly coveted by the chivalry of all mediaeval Christendom.
The Lindsay Coat of Arms and earlier versions of the clan crest
show an "attacking" swan. In October 1991, the Council
of Clan Lindsay Association adopted the "bain" swan, as
shown in the upper left corner of this page. The swan is rising
from a ducal crown, indicating that, at one time, a Lindsay was
a Duke.
The Clan Motto
Our clan motto, which appears on our clan crest, is
"Endure Fort," which means "Endure strongly."
The Lindsay Coat of Arms
As with other Scottish clans, our Coat of Arms includes our Clan
Motto and the symbol used in our Clan Crest (the swan).
Coats of Arms are the personal property of the bearer. For Clan
Lindsay, the Coat of Arms belongs exclusively to Lord Crawford.
Members of his family and clan are entitled to use (bear) the arms
only with his consent. For this reason, members of Clan Lindsay
wear the Clan Crest, as shown in the upper left corner of this page,
rather than the Coat of Arms.
The Tartan
Our lovely green and burgundy tartan, shown in the background,
is one of the more popular tartans. When traveling in Scotland,
one often sees everything from sweaters to golf shoe bags to place
mats for sale in three tartans: Royal Stewart, Black Watch, and
Lindsay. We are proud of our beautiful tartan, and are always happy
to see it worn by Clan Lindsay members and nonmembers alike.
The Septs
Clans consisted generally of "native men" and "broken men". The
"native men" were those related to the Chief and to each other by
blood ties. This blood relationship is an important fundamental
in the clan system and was a strong element in the patriarchal system
of government, all being bound together in a common interest. The
clan also contained septs or branches composed of clansmen
who had become powerful or prominent in some way, and founded families
almost as important as that of the Chief. These "broken men" were
individuals or groups who had sought and obtained the protection
of the clan.
--Source: The Clans and Tartans of Scotland by Robert Bain
Persons whose ancestors bear one of these surnames are eligible
for membership in Clan Lindsay.
- Byers
- Cobb
- Crawford
- Fotheringham
- Rhind
- Deuchar
- Downie
- Summers
- Sumner
- Affleck (Hereditary Armor Bearers to the Earls of Crawford)
To view a list of accepted spellings, visit our Membership
Info pages.
The Earl Of Crawford’s Reel
There is an historic piece of music related to Clan Lindsay named
"The Earl of Crawford's Reel." Clan Lindsay is fortunate
to have a musical recording, as well as an arrangement for bagpipe
written by one of our members, Mark Elliott.
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